Astrazeneca Drug Shrinks Heart Attacks More Than Sanofi Competitor
Brilintas potency didnt cause more episodes of serious bleeding, a common complication seen with drugs that ward off heart conditions by preventing blood clots from developing, the research showed. The findings position Brilinta to rival Plavix, the second-biggest selling medicine in the world with almost $10 billion in annual revenue, for millions of patients suffering from heart attacks or severe chest pain.
About 1.3 million Americans are hospitalized each year with heart attacks and chest pain known as acute coronary syndromes. While aspirin and Plavix have lowered their subsequent health risks, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Death from any cause was also significantly lower in patients taking Brilinta, according to the results of the study known as Plato.
“I think this will become the new standard of care,” said Douglas Weaver, a cardiologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and a past president of the American College of Cardiology, in an interview. “Its more rapid, more effective and it appears to be safer” than Plavix and another competitor, Effient, from Eli Lilly & Co. of Indianapolis and Daiichi Sankyo Co. of Japan. “I dont think they could have done much better than they did in this trial.”
North America
The study included more than 18,000 patients in 43 countries. Those in North America may have done worse on Brilinta, a finding researchers couldnt explain. That raised questions among analysts about future sales in the U.S.
“The North American market is such a big issue in terms of sales,” said Michael Leacock, an analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland in London. “This North American subgroup leaves a little more room for debate.”
While analyst estimates are sure to rise for Brilintas sales, it might not be enough to make the companys shares more attractive, Leacock said in an interview. AstraZeneca faces lower-priced competition on products that generate 62 percent of sales by 2014.
“It certainly seems to be a more competitive product than we would have expected,” Leacock said. “The consensus is already at $1 billion a year. Even if you add another $1 billion to AstraZenecas sales in 2013, Im not sure it makes a large difference to the investment case for AstraZeneca.”
AstraZeneca shares have gained 1.2 percent this year, compared with a 2.1 percent increase in the 17-member Bloomberg Europe Pharmaceutical Index. Sanofi, which is set to lose patent protection on Plavix in 2011, has risen 6.1 percent.
Eagerly Anticipated
The trial, funded by London-based AstraZeneca, was one of the most eagerly anticipated findings presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Barcelona this week. It was simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine yesterday. The researchers reported an unexpected 22 percent reduction in the overall risk of early death from any cause.
Seeking Approval
The U.K. drugmaker plans to file for approval of Brilinta in the fourth quarter in Europe and the U.S. and hopes to begin selling it next year, said Gunnar Olsson, AstraZenecas head of cardiovascular therapy.
Brilinta, Plavix and Effient all work by preventing platelets from clumping together in the blood to form clots. Plavix and Effient, which was approved this year in Europe and the U.S., last for the life of the platelet, or about a week, and are given once a day. Brilinta needs to be taken twice daily, and patients are likely to comply with that regimen, said David Snow, AstraZenecas vice president of cardiovascular global marketing.
“Youve had a heart attack,” Snow said in an interview in Barcelona. “Youre certainly going to be motivated to avoid another one.”
About 30 percent of patients dont respond well to Plavix. Brilintas effects wear off in a few days, making surgery easier for patients who need it.
Huge Conundrum
One in 10 patients rushed to the hospital with chest pain or heart attacks actually need by-pass surgery, said Christopher Cannon, a cardiologist at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. If they are given Plavix or Effient, they must wait five days before getting the surgery, he said.